Photographic printing machine



Oct. 28, 1941. A. LUDWIG 2,260,530

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet l & dc E? I I IN VEN TOR. Q/MA/WAQ Lumltwy Q.

ATTORNEY Get. 28, 1941. A. LUDWIG PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 unnuccmmunmuounum m INVENTOR. M4 244044143 ATTORNEY Dunc a a an an n u E; Da ae Get. 28, 1941. A. LUDWIG PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 5, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 a QIIIfl ZNTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTING MACHINE Anthony Ludwig, Washington, D. 0. Application January 5, 1939, Serial No. 249,487

6 Claims.

This invention relates to photographic printing machines and has particular relation to those machines wherein prints are made from motion picture film negatives.

After development of the film negatives taken by the so-called candid camera, it is usually desired to have contact prints made from the negatives before enlargements are made. The main purpose is, of course, to determine which of the negatives are to be enlarged. For this reason the small contact prints are first made and examined. In addition, it has been found to be desirable to keep the prints in the form of a strip and either with the corresponding negative or with a record which will facilitate the findin of any particular negative when it is needed for printing.

The primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved feeding device for film negatives.

Another object of the "invention is the provision of an improved feeding mechanism for film negatives having a registration adjustment to cause the film negative and the printing opening or window to come into registry, there being adjustable means whereby relative initial adjustment may be had between the printing opening or window and the film by moving one with relation to the other.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an adjustable mask to provide for printing the film negative number while leaving the adjacent space unexposed.

Another and still further object of the in vention is the provision of an improved magazine paper holder having a plurality of roll carrying means for carrying more than one type or grade of paper, each being available for instant use when needed.

Other and further objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a reading of the complete specification and claims.

Referring to the drawings wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my invention installed in and forming a part of a printing machine of the general type shown in the patent to Hopkins, No. 1,878,702, September 20, 1932.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the detachable frame showing many of the details of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the structure shown in Fig. 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 are cross sectional views on the lines 4-4 and 5--5 respectively of Fig. 2.

Figs. 6, 7, l0 and 12 are detail fragmental views of the feeding mechanism.

Figs. 8 and 9 are detail views of the adjustable mask.

Fig. 11 is a detail sectional view taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 10.

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the thin metallic frame about the printing window.

Fig. 14 is a side perspective of the magazine paper holders shown at the left in Fig. 1.

The same reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the specification and drawings.

In the drawings I0 designates the table top, H the body of the printing machine having a platen l2 and a keyboard [3 for controlling the exposure time as is Well known in the art. At the lower portion of Figure 1 is the swinging vane or valve member I4, which in the normal use of the machine is in a position toward the operator to permit passage of the print as it is released after printing and as the platen is raised. When the negative in the normal operation of the machine is about to be released, by the manually controlled means from the clamping fingers [5, the swinging vane or valve l4 swings away from the operator and the negative falls into the pocket IS in front of the operator. The print as it slides off the negative drops behind the vane or val've l4 and may be carried on an endless belt to the developer tank as is well known in the art. This endless conveyor arrangement is well known in the art and since it, along with other structure already described is not a part of the instant invention, further details will be omitted.

As is usual in printing machines a source of light (not shown) is provided for the printing operation.

In the use of my invention, the usual printing frame having the relatively large light window or opening, is removed and mine substituted therefor.

A frame comprising a plate 20 has an extension plate 2| at the left which is provided with a velvet lined track or path 22 having a similarly lined guide 23 adjacent the plate 20. The plate 20 has a slightly depressed track 24 which is provided with a protective surface as a silk ribbon 25. A pair of directing guides 26 are located on opposite sides of the ribbon surface 25. The directing guides are of a width apart to permit free passage of the film negative but not sufficiently far apart to permit any side movement. The groove-depth of the guides is sufficient to allow of the snug but easy passage of the film negative together with the paper to be printed.

Beyond the guides is the window of the printing frame. The window glass 21 is held in place by the thin metallic frame 28. The upper portion 2l' of the glass window 21 is the portion traversed by that part of the film negative which carries the negative number. As it is highly desirable to have all of the printed paper, except that portion needed for the picture and number, show White, I have provided an adjustable mask which will mask that portion at the side of the film occupied by the film number, showing only a small area to contain the negative serial numher. This adjustable mask will be later de scribed.

Beyond the window is a guide 29 and track 30 lined with some soft material, as velvet, to protect the film negative.

At the right side of the frame and attached to the plate 20, I provide an arm 3| which carries a film negative winding spindle 32 which is pivoted as at 33 and may be turned by the knurled handle 34. On the extension plate 2| and over the track 22 is a film negative roll spindle 35.

The paper which is the usual roll, perforated at the edges is supplied from magazines at the left of the printing frame. In the embodiment illustrated, I have shown a three-roll magazine having end sections secured, preferably to the center section by hinges. The center section 40 is in the form of a box having a slit 40 to permit the paper strip to pass freely. The section 4| has a slit 4| and forms a cover for the box section 40 and is hinged to the latter. A suitable catch 4N is provided to keep the sections 40 and 4| in proper closed relation except when it is desired to insert a new roll. The third section 42 is likewise provided with a slit opening 42 through which the paper is fed and is hingedly connected to the section 40. A catch 42 holds the section 42 in its closed position. It is to be understood that the open sides of the sections 4! and 42 are toward the section 42 so that the section 40 forms a closure member for the outer sections 4| and 42.

The section 40 is secured at its bottom to a support 43 which is provided with slides 43 These slides 43*- register with guides 44 which are screwed or otherwise secured to the table top H).

The sections 40, 4| and 42 are thus available with their roll of printing paper to supply the desired type of paper by merely moving the paper holder along the guides 44 until the appropriate slit 40 4|- or 42 is in line with the film negative holder 35.

After the film is fed through the guides 23. 26 and 29, the paper is placed under the guide 23 and in the guides 26 but preferably not under the guide 29. By not placing it under the guide 29, the film negative over the window 21 can be observed for its density by lifting the paper, thus exposing the negative to view. The paper will be held in close contact with the negative by the platen when the latter is brought to its lowered position and the bright light turned on for printing, as is Well known in the art.

In addition to the adjustable mask already mentioned, there is provided a film and paper feeding mechanism and an adjustment for the feeding mechanism which will insure the feeding of the film negative and its print paper, ex actly the desired amount so that successive negatives will be brought into exact registration 75 with the window as the feeding mechanism is operated.

The feeding mechanism will now be described. A slide operating handle 45 operates in a slot 46 in the plate 20 of the frame. This slot is parallelto the line of travel of the film and of a length, great enough to permit of the advancement of the film one negative length and an additional amount to provide for the necessary adjustment of the feeding mechanism.

On the underside of the plate 20 is a slide plate 41 to which the screw threaded end of the slide operating handle 45 is secured. The plate 41 carries a slide 41 which operates between a pair of guide members 48 and 48 These guide members are secured to the frame plate 20 and in cooperation with each other, form a. guide means for the slide 41. A spring 49 is secured at one end to the slide plate 41 and at its opposite end to the frame as at 50. Secured to the slide plate 41 is an L-shaped ratchet operating arm 5| having an outwardly extending member 5 I to which is attached the ratchet supporting spring 52 as by the screws 53. The spring 52 carries a toothed member 54 which has a tooth 54 sufficiently long enough to extend through an elongated slot opening 55 in the plate 20 of the frame. This tooth 54 of the toothed member 54 engages the edges of the negative perforations and also the correspondingly cut openings of the print paper to move both together when the slide operating handle 45 is moved along its slot 45. The left end of the slot opening 55, as the machine is faced, is at such a point that the toothed member 54 will have its tooth 54 ride out of the slot 55 onto the underside of the plate 20 when the spring 49 pulls the slide 41 to near the limit of its movement to the left. This action, of course, removes the tooth I34 from contact with the film. Movement of the slide operating handle 45 to the right, causes the slide plate 41 to move its arm 5| and through the'spring 52 to move the ratchet member 54. As soon as the tooth 54 reaches the end of the slot 55, it will ride up into and through the slot 55. The openings 56* of the film negative 56 and the corresponding openings in the print paper being in the path of the moving tooth 54*, will be entered and engaged thereby and further movement of the handle 45 will cause the film negative to progress in its travel. When the end of the movement is reached, the slide 41* is stopped by its engagement with the adjustable stop 51. The stop adjusting hand nut 58 has a threaded connection which operates in a slot 59. The slot 59 is of sufficient length to permit movement of the stop 51 the distance of one frame which is half the length of one film negative, plus the distance to make an accurate adjustment. This latter distance at its maximum is substantially the distance between centers of adjacent feeder openings in the film.

When the adjustment of the particular roll of film is desired, the handle 45 is moved to the right feeding the film to a point where the film negative is in exact registry with the printing window 21. Holding the handle 45 in this exact position, the knurled surface of the hand nut 58 is grasped, loosening the nut so that the stop can be moved. By the hand nut 58, the stop 51 is moved to the left until it engages the end of the slide 41. In this position the hand nut is tightened.

Thehandle 45 may now be released and the spring 49 will restore itto its ready-for-operation position. Subsequent movements of the handle 45 to the right followed by releasing it will move the film, and the paper also if being used, a distance equal to one negative length. By glancing at the negative in the light of the pilot lamp, the time of exposure may be estimated and the proper button or lever l3 operated to cause the printing operation to take place. As the details of the printing operation are well known in the art, further description of the printing operation will not be made.

Films are furnished with numbers at their edges along the line of perforations. These numbers are of a distance apart equal to the length of one negative. In order to mask all of the negative along the edge except the number, I provide an adjustable mask which will now be described.

A groove Bil in the plate 20 allows space for the slide Bl which has a handle 62. Secured to this slide 6! and below the plate 20 of the frame, is the mask plate 63. This mask plate has an opening 64 in a position and of a size to expose the negative around the negative numbers when in proper adjustment. By moving the handle 62, the opening 84 may be made to expose the negative number when one negative is adjusted over the printing window 21. When the stop is in proper adjustment, each subsequent operation of the handle 45 will not only move the film negative the distance of one picture but will bring the numbers of subsequent negatives in registration with the opening in the mask plate 63.

As already described, the stop 51 has an adjustment by the hand nut 58 a distance greater than the length of one frame which is half the size of the normal motion picture exposure. If the negatives are of the single frame size, the hand nut 58 with its stop 51 will operate in the manner already described.

When prints are to be done from negatives of a size of one frame, a removable mask either of very thin metal or of black paper is placed over the right half of the window 21. This will not affect the proper operation of the mask plate 53 or the stop 51, the setting of these parts taking care of the proper registration of the negatives with the printing window and of the negative serial number with the mask opening 64.

In the operation of the invention, the film is first threaded under the guide 23 and between the guides 26 and under the guide 29 to the take up spindle 32. With the slide operating handle 44, the film is moved until it registers with the window 27. With the operating handle held in this position, the stop 51 is adjusted so that the limit of movement to the right of the handle 45 is represented by the position in which it is held. While held in this position the stop 51 is brought against the slide ll and the handle nut 58 is clamped to hold the stop 51 in position.

The desired type of paper having been selected from the roll holder 49, 4| or 42, the magazine of roll holder is adjusted so that the paper will come easily from its holder and in line with the film. This paper is then passed between the guides 26, care being taken that the feeder perforations of the paper register with those of the film. Before the first print is made, the mask opening 64 is registered with the film negative number of the first negative to be printed as has previously been described. The right hand end of the paper is preferably kept free so that it may be lifted to enable the operator to determine the density of the negative. Having determined the density the appropriate lever of the keyboard I3 is operated. The machine automatically lowers the platen, pressing the paper against the negative and turns on the light for the required time corresponding to the proper key pressed. The platen then rises and the operator may move the operating handle 45 again to the right which will advance the negative and paper the distance of one negative. The operator then repeats the operation.

The application of my invention to the printing machine described in my Patent No. 2,043,- 928, June 9, 1936 is essentially the same as its application to the printing machine just described. However, in such an installation, the paper strip would not be used in contact with the negative and prints would be made for example, by placing the relatively large sheets in the paper holder as described in the said patent.

And since the construction and operation would be substantially the same, it is thought to be unnecessary to describe further details.

While I have described and illustrated an embodiment of my invention in detail it is to be understood that modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and within its scope as claimed.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. An attachment for a photographic printing machine comprising a frame having a face plate, a guide in the face plate, the guide having a protective lining to prevent injury to the negative and being of a width to receive a perforated film negative, a light opening the size of a picture, a slot in the plate extending in the direction of negative travel, a manually operated slide, a ratchet operated by the slide and having a portion in position to pass through the slot to engage the negative openings when operated, and an adjustable mask means including a slidable plate having an opening, the slidable mask plate being along the side of the light opening and having a mask opening adjustable to expose the film exposure number and over the path of the film portion adjacent the edge of the negative.

2. In a photographic printing machinefor use with exposure numbered films, a frame having a picture printing opening, a longitudinal guide for a multi-frame film, an adjustable mask having an opening at one side of the opening and means for setting the mask at any one of a plurality of adjustments to expose the film exposure number and means for moving the film along the guide.

3. In a photographic printing machine for use with exposure numbered films, a frame having a picture printing opening, a longitudinal guide for a multi-frame film, an adjustable mask means including a slidable plate, the slidable mask plate being along the side of the opening and having a mask opening adjustable to expose the film exposure number.

4. In a photographic printing machine, a frame having a picture printing opening, a longitudinal guide for guiding a film negative over the opening, the frame having a slot, a toothcarrying ratchet member supported adjacent and below the slot, supports for a perforated film negative, means for moving the tooth-carrying 'ratchet to permit it to rise in the slot to engage and move the film along its guide and means for withdrawing the tooth of the ratchet from the slot when the ratchet is in its retracted position, this leaving the negative free for movement in either direction by the hand of the operator.

5. In a photographic printing machine, a frame having a picture printing opening, 2. Iongitudinal guide for a film negative and means for moving a perforated film negative over the opening in the guide, means for stopping the movement when the travel length of one picture has been completed, the opening being of a size to expose the negative to light during printing but leaving a margin on the print on a line with the negative serial number and a mask to cover the margin, the mask having an opening to permit printing of the negative serial number.

6. In a photographic printing machine, a. frame having a picture printing opening, 3' Iangitudinal guide for a film negative and means for moving a perforated film negative over the opening in the guide, means for stopping the 

